- Introduced and developed by Acorn Computers
- Type: 8-bit microcomputer
- Manufactured Year: 1982
- Serial Number: 06-ALA01-0004753
- Origin: United Kingdom
- Price: £199 (UK, august 83), €2950 (France, february 84)
- Size/weight: 16 x 34 x 6.5 cm
Specifications
- CPU: Synertek SY6502A clocked at 2 MHz when accessing ROM and 1 MHz when accessing RAM
- Operating System: Acorn MOS v1.0
- Media: Cassette tape, floppy disk (optional), ROM cartridge (optional)
- Memory: 32 KB RAM, 32 KB ROM
- Monitor/ Display: RF modulator, composite video, RGB monitor output
- Graphics: 160×256 (4 or 16 colours), 320×256 (2 or 4 colours), 640×256 (2 colours), 320×200 (2 colours – spaced display with two blank horizontal lines following every 8-pixel lines), 640×200 (2 colours – spaced display)
- I/O port: Expansion port, Tape-recorder connector (1200 baud), aerial TV connector (RF modulator), RGB video output
- Input: Keyboard
Description
The Acorn Electron was a budget version of the BBC Microcomputer developed by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM. ROM memory of Acorn Electron includes the BBC BASIC along with its operating system.
The Electron was able to save and load programs onto an audio cassette via a supplied converter cable that plugged into the microphone socket of any tape recorder. It was capable of basic graphics and could display on either a television set or a “green screen” monitor.[/sayit]
For a short period, the Electron was reportedly the best-selling micro in the United Kingdom. According to the estimations, 200,000 to 250,000 machines sold over its entire commercial lifespan